Everything you ever wanted to know but never asked, Part 1

I am FINALLY getting around to answering all of your questions! You guys had quite a few so I'm going to split them up over 2 posts.

1. What do Jarred and I like to do on date nights?
Date nights are tough for us! Jarred gets up so early and works such a labor-intensive job that he starts to crash around 7pm. If he didn't work 7 days a week, I'd say that date days would be a better idea for us. Add Emma to the mix and it can get tricky to get away for a date night! But, every once in a while we get a chance to do something just the two of us. We used to go to Ruby Tuesdays a lot when we were dating/engaged, but these days we are a little more conscious of our budget. We love going for walks and this summer we've really enjoyed getting a babysitter for Emma and going on double dates on our boat out on the river. We love tubing, wakeboarding and just riding around!

2. Do I help in the barn?
ha. No. :)
I am a suburban-raised girl who used to complain about the smell when my brothers would come in from playing outside. I've come a long way, but not THAT far! :) Actually there's not much that I could do to help. There are 3  full time employees on the farm and they handle everything...milking, field-work, manure hauling. I'd most likely just be in the way. We ride along in the tractor if Jarred is working long hours hauling manure. We've watched him pull a calf out and Emma and I like to go help Daddy feed the calves. Their little barn is right behind our house and she loves to walk around and let them lick her fingers. Other than that, we stay out of the way!

3. Do I have any new hobbies?
I have been working on knitting a baby blanket for about 6 months and I'm no where close to finishing. I thought knitting would be fun but it takes WAY too much focus for me and I mess up a lot! Maybe by the time the next baby is born, I'll be done. Maybe. On our trip to Missouri, my sister-in-law and I bought some cross stitch patterns and I've been working on that. I can't say I'm much better at that. I've sewn the fabric to my pants four times already! I just got summoned for jury duty in October so I might take along my new hobbies then to work on them while I sit around. Or maybe I'll just bring some books. Reading is much easier for me! haha

4. Why did we pick the name Emma?
There isn't really a very cool story other than the fact that we really liked the name Emma. Jarred had a great Aunt Emma and I had a great aunt Mary Emma so we thought it was sort of neat that it was on both sides of our families. Primarily, we just liked it. Her full name is Emma Faith VP. Any suggestions for baby number two's name? I'm thinking it's a boy, but we'll find out in a few months for sure!

5. What has been my favorite age/stage so far?
This is so funny...we keep saying ok, this is the best age and then she'll grow a little more and start doing something new and then we'll say now this is the best age! There are such special aspects to every age. That newborn-ness when you just sit and stare at her all day long. The first time she slept through the night. Those first smiles and coos. The first wobbly steps. The first time she said momma. Every age is awesome! Looking back I wish I would have soaked in each moment more instead of looking ahead to the next thing.

Alright, that's about half of them so I'll stop there for today. Stay tuned for finding out how Jarred and I met, my favorite meal to cook, renovation updates and a few more! :)